Sunshine or Lead

by Adam Van Susteren

  The bartender confirmed with a brand of beer. “Tsing Tao?”

  James nodded and pulled a wad of Macanese pataca out of his pocket. The bartender figured he was an American and said in slightly accented English, “Twelve American dollars or ninety-five Pataca.”

  “Xie xie.” James handed over exactly ninety-five pataca, understanding that tipping is not generally practiced in China.

  James pulled up a chair and resumed his scanning of the casino floor. He focused his attention back to the bar. He was the only one seated in the six-seat section with little video gambling machines built flush into the bar top. In the elevated bar area, there was one group of three men that were well dressed, likely businessmen in town for a conference; a middle-aged man and a somewhat plump middle-aged woman were also sitting in that area.

  He thought for a minute, then looked at the bartender. “Where do young girls hang out?” was the literal translation of what James asked.

  The bartender responded in Mandarin, “Young girls? Or young women?”

  James’ face flushed a little; he understood the mistake. “Women. Thirty. Twenty. Women,” he responded in Mandarin, hoping that he was being clear that he was looking for a woman in her twenties or thirties.

  The bartender smiled and looked at his watch then said in English, “Pretty girl at this bar from eight to ten. At club from ten until five. Too early.”

  “Thank you. What games, if I gamble, will give me the best chance to meet young people?”

  “Anything but baccarat. Maybe craps. Or right where you are before night club open.”

  James almost said baccarat out loud. He knew that was Xiaowan’s father’s game when he wasn’t on the penny slots. James said in English, “Thanks. I always wanted to learn baccarat. I might give it a try before this place heats up.”

  The bartender nodded and looked around for other customers. Seeing none, he looked up at the television screen above him to watch some European soccer highlights.

  James looked around the casino floor and was happy to see signs in both English as well as in Chinese. He found the baccarat area and scanned the crowds. He saw the man that he believed he had met on a dozen occasions before, but he wasn’t entirely sure.

  Nat made it down to the casino floor and was doing her best to watch James while sitting in front of a slot machine. Her outfit stood out as unusual at three in the afternoon but would fit right in at midnight. She was wearing a tight black dress that was strategically missing fabric on both sides to show exposed skin. By any perspective, it was a sexy outfit, the type that a high-end call girl might wear.

  When picking her outfit, she would have chosen four inch heels for her role but she knew if there was a chance of running she needed to be in a flat shoe. She chose black strappy gladiator-style shoes that didn’t quite match her dress.

  By the time she changed slot machines to keep her eyes on James, she noticed that James was shaking an elderly man’s hand at the baccarat tables.

  When James reached out his hand, he said in broken Mandarin, “Can I play?”

  His father-in-law nodded. Surprised to see an outstretched hand, he suffered a moment of significant cognitive dissonance. Xiaowan’s father, Chen Jo Gong, did not let go of his hand for a few seconds. And then before he could say anything, James piped up in broken Mandarin, “James. Good meet you first time.”

  Chen knew that James was trying to learn Mandarin and he spoke less English than James spoke Mandarin. His heart was in his throat when he asked, “Xiaowan?”

  “Good meet you, Xiaowan.”

  James put two thousand Macanese pataca on the table and Chen tried to remain calm. He played along and said slowly in Mandarin, “My name is Chen. You are?”

  “James.”

  They shook hands. Chen immediately realized the hotel promotion had something to do with his daughter. He felt like all eyes were upon him and he was scared.

  James looked at the dealer and nodded to the table. “First time.”

  The dealer spoke English and explained the game. They played slowly. After James lost a little money, he said in Mandarin, “Nice meet you. Not my game. Going drink. I buy you?”

  James’ father-in-law nodded his assent. James stood up from the table and wondered if this cloak and dagger theatre was necessary. This is his father-in-law after all, and there was little chance the Chinese government could realistically know James was coming. Walking back to the same bar, James’ eyes were naturally drawn to Nat. It took an instant for him to recognize her.

  She smiled at him and tried to look overly sexy. She said in English, “Buy me a drink.”

  “I’m buying this man a drink for helping me with baccarat. Care to join us in a few minutes?”

  “Sounds good, cowboy,” she said, staying in character. Then she gave him a little wink. James went back to the bar area and ordered two club sodas from the bartender. He forked over the one hundred Macanese pataca with so much anxiety about the situation that he didn’t even let it upset him that he paid twelve dollars for a couple of club sodas.

  The businessmen that were at a small table had left. The table that was cleared had three chairs. James smiled at his fortune and sat down in one of the chairs. Within three minutes, James was regretting his repeated sips of the soda. With his nerves on edge, he already felt like he had to pee.

  Chen sat down with James and asked with concern in his voice, “Xiaowan?”

  James knew that Chen didn’t speak any English, so he did his best to continue in his broken Mandarin. “Fine. Worried.”

  Chen’s eyes implored James to provide more information. He looked around and then asked in simple Mandarin, “Danger here?”

  James looked around hoping that Nat would approach soon because he didn’t understand what Chen just said to him.

  Chen saw the blank look and asked in Mandarin again, “Not safe here?”

  James nodded.

  As the frustration was starting to bubble up in Chen, both men looked up at a smiling Nat who was approaching their table. James asked somewhat loudly, “Do you speak English? He is trying to teach me baccarat but we have a language barrier.”

  She smiled. “Sure, buy me a drink and I’d be happy to talk to you guys for a few minutes.”

  “What would you like?” James asked.

  Nat walked a few steps towards the bar and barked her order at the bartender, then she sat down to join the two men.

  She shook Chen’s hand. “Ni hao.”

  He gave a quick head nod and said in Cantonese, the dialect of Chinese they speak in the area, “It’s about my daughter. This man knows her and I think she might be in trouble.”

  She said to James, “He says that he’s afraid his daughter is in trouble.”

  “You know what to tell him.”

  Nat said, “Yes, but he doesn’t know that I am anything but a call girl. Tell me what to tell him.” She turned to Chen and, in rusty Cantonese, relayed that James was concerned for their safety; she had to search for words here and there.

  Chen responded in Mandarin, “What is this about?”

  She smiled at his understanding that she knew some Cantonese but primarily spoke Mandarin.

  Nat relayed information, then Chen spoke, then James. The conversation went back and forth with James doing his best to pick up what they were saying in Mandarin.

  James said in Mandarin, “Come see Xiaowan in U.S.”

  Chen looked concerned and spoke to Nat. “When? It takes time to get a visa. It’s possible we may not be eligible.”

  Without going back to James for more information, Nat told him they are to leave first thing tomorrow morning. They have paperwork and a plane all set.

  Chen realized then that Nat was working with James. He slumped back in his chair. “I cannot call her?”

  James shook his head no.

  Chen leaned forward. “I must talk with my wife first.”

  After hearing the translation, James nodded. “I’m sorry we hav
e to meet like this. I love your daughter more than anything and need you and Huifang to come with me.”

  Chen nodded and then glanced at Nat with fear, wondering if this call girl might turn on James and sell them out for more money than James was paying her. Preoccupied with his worries, he was startled when the bartender brought them a bottle of 2006 Le Reve sparkling wine with three glasses and informed James it would be the equivalent of $350.

  James pulled out his wad of Macanese pataca and handed it to the bartender. After the bartender poured, James peeled off another $100 worth of pataca and handed it to Nat. “Thank you for your help.”

  Nat asked James, “How will we know if he is going with us tomorrow?”

  James thought for a second. “Tell him that I paid you money to help translate and for your loyalty, and that I will pay you more for your help this entire weekend. Tomorrow morning, he and Huifang are to wait in the taxi line at exactly ten am and we will find them and tell them where to go. Tell them not to bring any luggage, but they should bring any medicine they need, things like that. And if they want to talk with me before that, they can go to the same baccarat table at midnight. And get his room number too, in case we need to see them.”

  She relayed the information to Chen. He stood up and shook Nat’s hand and then shook James’ hand. He now regretted the deal he made to send his daughter to the United States as a spy twenty years ago even more than he did back then.

  Nat whispered into Chen’s ear that his room was probably bugged so he and Huifang had to be careful where they spoke.

  James asked Nat, “What do we do now?”

  “Let’s go to your room, handsome,” she cooed as she playfully tugged on his sleeve to feign enthusiasm.

  Under the cover of ordering alcohol and Red Bull, Nat placed a call to one of her contacts from the hotel telephone. He delivered a bottle of vodka, several cans of Red Bull, and equipment to check for listening and video recording devices. James tried to sleep while she spent the better part of an hour inspecting the three-bedroom suite; she was able to ascertain that no bugs had been planted.

  A few hours hour later, the rest of the guys returned from Hong Kong. Kor went immediately to one shower and Manny the other. Aaron was talking with Leonard Fredwards and Josh Ruyle about what they saw, how different things were here, and what else they wanted to do this weekend when Nat came out of the second bedroom still wearing her tight dress.

  Josh whispered to Len, “Is that Nat or a hot-ass hooker?”

  “Damn, Nat, you look fine as hell!” Len said and hoped she wouldn’t be offended.

  Aaron, after a double take at Nat’s outfit, said, “Hey Nat.”

  James rounded up cell phones then knocked on both bathroom doors and announced they needed to have a group chat. A minute later, Manny joined the group, and Kor followed five minutes later.

  James asked Kor and Manny, “Cell phones?”

  They shook their heads to indicate that their phones weren’t in that area of the suite.

  James looked at his crew. “Nat swept this place for bugs. This is the only time we will discuss this plan at all. Then silence. We are leaving tomorrow at ten am. Not a second past or you have to fly home on your own. We can continue Kor’s bachelor party in Hawaii, on me.”

  Heads nodded all around the room.

  “So what do we do tonight?” Kor asked.

  “Relax and have fun, but don’t do anything that will get you in trouble, and don’t raise any suspicion.”

  “Won’t it be suspicious if a bachelor party checks in and isn’t rowdy and then leaves the next day?” Aaron asked with a devious smile.

  James shrugged. “I guess, a little, so what should we do?”

  Aaron smiled and suggested, “For the sake of the cover, get Kor drunk as hell and full of Red Bull so at ten am we are all so beat we just want to get out of Macau?”

  Kor clapped his hands and shouted in a whisper, “Bam. I’m perfect for this spy shit.”

  The group laughed with Kor. The tension had been high the entire time and it felt great to have this release. Manny asked, “So what’s developed with the plan?”

  Nat put her hand up to James and took that question. “Leave that to us. Just know that you are supposed to have a great time, and tomorrow we hope to leave with two other guests. We will not be checking out, we will simply leave. It will look like a day trip since you all packed so light anyway.”

  Manny did not press any further. She added with the tone of a school teacher warning children, “If you are not ready to leave this room by nine thirty am or actually down at the front entrance at ten am, you will be left in Macau. Do not lose your passports.”

  Aaron stood up. “Well gentleman, for our good friend Kor, our good friend James, and the sake of our country, we have to stay out drinking until nine thirty am.”

  Manny looked around the room at the men in their thirties. “Boys, as fun as that sounds, I’m not sure I have the legs for that these days. I’m nearing seventy.”

  Kor piped up, “And good old James is the pass-out king.”

  “That gives me an idea,” Aaron said. “Just like in scuba diving, we are on the buddy system. James and Manny, you are each responsible for making sure both are here and ready to go at nine thirty. Josh and Len. Kor, me and you. Nat, you’re the professional and should stick with James.”

  “Great idea. Manny, for our cover, how would you like to rent me for the weekend?”

  The guys all hollered and whooped it up for a few seconds. Not fazed by the razzing, Manny said, “It would be my pleasure.”

  For a second, James forgot he was here to try to save his in-laws. When reality set back in, he stood up. “I know throughout our lives we have made jokes about being a good wingman, but lives are at stake here. Do not lose your wingman. Do not get out of control and be ready to go by ten am.”

  Aaron looked down at his watch. “We’ve got an hour until dinner. From now on, we only talk about Kor being the bachelor. We do not get arrested. We get our asses at the front entrance at ten am. No herding cats here.”

  James had brought the nearly full bottle of Le Reve up to the room. They all toasted Kor with expensive champagne and chased it with vodka and Red Bull. Then Aaron, Josh, and Len showered and got ready for dinner. Manny called down to inform the restaurant they would be fifteen minutes late.

  James tried to force a smile, but he couldn’t stop worrying about was his wife; she was on an airplane headed to Europe to try to thwart a Chinese espionage attempt against her employer.

  Chapter 19

  Aurora, Tina, Xiaowan, and Jessica landed in Barcelona at five pm Saturday local time. They got their bags and made it uneventfully to the Hotel Montecarlo located at La Rambla, 124. They chose this location because it was right in the center of the strip in Barcelona. There would be people all around and there was presumed safety and cover credibility in its location.

  Xiaowan was already tired from the nervous energy that kept her from sleeping on the plane. Tina and Jessica were ready to find some paella and walk around La Rambla to behold the party that is Barcelona on a Saturday night.

  Aurora was concerned about presiding over so many moving parts. At least the check-in process went as planned. The women were assigned to rooms across the hall from each other on the third floor; Aurora was able to talk the hotel into changing the room assignments to adjoining rooms on the second floor. Since she wasn’t sure if she would be able to have a crew sweep the rooms for bugs, she wanted to ensure they got rooms different than those originally assigned in case someone had known where they were going and knew the room assignments. Even the best placed listening device or video camera would be useless after they changed rooms.

  Aurora was disappointed to find that there were no key cards at this hotel. As is common in Europe, there are old fashioned keys that you leave at the front desk. When she asked for four tourist maps, the desk clerk was again happy to oblige.

  In the hotel room, Auro
ra pulled out three of the maps and circled the hotel and Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada, 23. She explained, “This is the United States Consulate. If anything happens, get there. It’s a ten minute cab ride or one hour walk from here. Let the hotel front desk put you in a taxi that they call for you.”

  Tina, excited to go find an amazing dinner said, “Okay. We’ll keep the maps on us, just in case. But we really don’t have anything to worry about here, do we?”

  In the moment that Aurora hesitated before answering, the telephone blared, cutting through the silence like a surgeon’s scalpel.

  “I’ll get it, probably just about check-in or something,” Xiaowan said as she moved to pick up the phone. “Hello?”

  The voice on the other end spoke, then she said, “Okay. Thank you, I will be right down.” She looked at the other ladies and repeated the message verbatim, “There is a man here to see me. His name is Zhou.”

  Aurora looked at Tina. “So, yes, Tina. We have come to a potentially dangerous place. However, an early meeting was anticipated and if anything appears scary or out of hand, I have CIA contacts that are near. Xiaowan and I are prepared for this.”

  Tina said, “So are Jess and I. Whoever these people are, I’m sure they’re not as bad as Helen Cluntz and her goons.”

  Aurora smiled at her. “Just remember, no risks. We are here to support Xiaowan. Just to be safe, I am going to get a message out right away. We will all go out to dinner tonight and we will flirt with men; we will have fun.”

  “Shy,” Aurora said, remembering what her husband called her, “go downstairs and meet with Zhou. Don’t leave the hotel with him no matter what. Remember, you are too scared to possibly have blown your cover so if he knows who I am and asks why I am here, it’s because Tina, Jessica, and I grew very close over the past few months and Tina was scared to travel without me or Aaron. I am here for Tina. I am FBI, we work only within the United States borders.”